CT Doctor And Lawmaker Scoffs At Post-Closing Windham Hospital Birthing Center Report

HARTFORD, CT – A report commissioned by the Connecticut Office of Health Strategy has concluded that a stand-alone outpatient birthing center is not feasible to replace the shuttered in-patient labor and delivery unit at Windham Hospital.

The report, dated Tuesday, was compiled by from Guidehouse, a consulting firm hired by the OHS.

After the maternity facilities were closed at both Windham and Johnson Memorial hospitals in 2024, a study was ordered by state officials to explore a stand-alone outpatient service options at both facilities.

In the case of Windham, according to the report, the feasibility is not there.

Guidehouse said it utilized Windham Hospital’s definition of its Primary Service Area and determined that 87,000 residents live within its PSA.

Of those, 21.2 percent are women of childbearing age (15 to 44), and the female population within Windham Hospital's PSA is projected to slightly decrease, according tro the report.

On average, it is projected that the hospital's PSA will have an average of 80 annual births that are eligible for a free-standing birthing center, according to the report. FBC-eligible births, however, are expected to decrease, according to the report.

Meeting operational standards and requirements for a FBC will require "significant resources and
coordination with other providers in the community, the report stated.

Community members expressed "many challenges" that include provider shortages, limited healthcare services and resources, and social needs, and a "negative net contribution margin" is projected, according to the report. To be financially sustainable, a FBC would need to deliver more than 500 babies births each year.

One lawmaker who is also a physician scoffed at the conclusion.

State Sen. Jeff Gordon (R-35th District), issued a strong response Thursday following the release of the report.

“This is deeply disappointing, but unfortunately not surprising,” said Senator Gordon. “I’ve been warning for years that the Office of Health Strategy’s process is broken and being used to quietly eliminate essential inpatient healthcare services, especially in rural areas.”

Gordon highlighted a "disturbing pattern" in how the OHS has handled "the termination of hospital inpatient services Eastern Connecticut."

He said, "Despite proposed decisions stating that Windham and Johnson Memorial hospitals failed to meet legal requirements to shut down labor and delivery services, both hospitals engaged in appeals, followed by closed-door settlements that reversed those findings and allowed the closures to stand.

"OHS can try to call it something else, but let’s be honest, it was a behind-the-scenes negotiated settlement. That is not how public healthcare policy should be made."

With a similar review now underway for Johnson Memorial in Stafford, Gordon said the outcome is likely to mirror what happened at Windham.

"This is exactly what I predicted, and it's part of a larger failure to protect women's access to labor and delivery services close to home,” he said. “These decisions are adversely affecting care for women and families in our state.”

Gordon reiterated his earlier assessments that call for "reforming" the Certificate of Need process and "restructuring the Office of Health Strategy to restore transparency and prioritize patient access."

He added, "Our state government should not be in the business of making it harder for women to get the care they need. I will continue fighting for real reforms to protect essential services and ensure every Connecticut resident, no matter where they live, has access to quality, local healthcare."

According to the report, community members expressed that a FBC would only work for a small portion of the community (non-complicated births), given the demographics and health needs of the community and not fully cover the community's needs.